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Post by Nadia on Aug 10, 2021 10:39:28 GMT -6
Grab hold of that little fishy, quick!
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Post by Èdan on Aug 15, 2021 7:17:13 GMT -6
Some might find the waiting portion of fishing arduous and boring, but for him it's a nice escape from the usual hectic pace everything runs on as standard. Plus, it's easier to get one's thoughts straightened and ordered when there isn't an immediate threat or concern looming over the horizon, such as, say, the braying of anywhere between three to five beasts, each looking for attention even while some of them don't quite understand why they don't want to get too close - A certain shadow beast included. He'll need to deal with each in turn eventually, but before he can start there's still much too much information to uproot regarding the beasts as well as the manner with which to train them.
The baakir was certainly an experience, but not exactly something he can repeat with his own motley flock. For one only one of them could feasibly counted as a beast of prey, while all of them are much too young to quite have the same instincts as a grown animal.
. 16 . Atrum: 9 (1/5) Wet Season: 16
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Post by Èdan on Aug 15, 2021 7:21:32 GMT -6
Which is where the humanish came in, along with the baakir deal. Trust be told he wasn't exactly confident about being able to pull it off, but many factors spoke in his favour with that particular incident. Not quite the same with the home lot.. At least the pup is receiving some training from the humanish as compensation, so it is a start. He has an inkling of what to do with the foal, but the bear is still pretty much an unknown in terms of versatility. He would be lucky to get it to like him, at least then when it's grown there's less of a chance it will do anything too drastic.. but he also needs to find a way to reign it in as early as possible, for even a fond beast can disobey should it ever detect to have the upper hand.
As for the shadow, well.. There's a fair few delicious opportunities there, what with the etherealness and able to easily hide.. but he also needs it to be approachable to begin with.
. 17 . Atrum: 9 (2/5) Wet Season: 17
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Post by Èdan on Aug 15, 2021 7:25:58 GMT -6
There's a glance over the shoulder, and no sooner do his eyes lock onto the slightly darker shape in his own shadow, that the neon green eyes startle and suddenly a form slinks away, to behind the edge of the boulder, out of sight. Just like that.. Having some sense of disquiet can be good in terms of goading something to follow or moulding their reaction into something useful, but this is ridiculous. What use is there in a shadow beast who jumps at a glance alone?
A thought for later, since no sooner does he focus his attentions back on the water, that the line wobbles slightly, the bobber briefly submerged, and suddenly there's a tug. It's not so much waking from the pondering thoughts as quickly shifting gears to a new track, but the man's quick to react and begin to reel the line in. Whatever is on it puts up a fight, so it's not likely to be driftwood (Again).
. 18 . Atrum: 9 (3/5) Wet Season: 18
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Post by Èdan on Aug 15, 2021 7:30:37 GMT -6
Likewise, it doesn't seem to be particularly big, or at least strong. The line's easy enough to reel in and although it zig-zags a little along the way, the catch seems more guided by it than fighting against it. Once it's close enough, there's one last pull and slivery grey thing hops out of the water, wiggling on the hook desperately. He grabs the line and pulls it in, to get a grip on the fish, already hopping down from the boulder and heading towards the bucket. The shadow follows, though a much more respectable distance than before, not quite recovered from the spooking from before.
Holding the fish, he gives it a quick look over (As much as can be, without loosening the grip and letting it flip all over the place) and it seems only a fraction of the size of the other one.. But, it's still a catch, which is better than playing charity to the other fish in the river and donating most of the worms without too much of a result.
. 19 . Atrum: 9 (4/5) Wet Season: 19
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Post by Èdan on Aug 15, 2021 7:35:22 GMT -6
"Hold still.." he grumbles, setting the rod down and trying to pry the hook loose with as swift of a motion as possible. Linger too long with it and the fish is as likely to give itself a heart attack as injure it further. There's a snap in the hook from the motion, starting the shadow nearby, but it comes free and he dumps the thing into the bucket, to join the rest of it's neighbours so far. As for the hook, it's lost the tip and bent out of shape even without it, no longer usable properly.
The man gives an annoyed groan, tossing it into the pile with the broken lines (At least this time he'll know where to avoid stepping, as to further avoid a hook through the sole of the boot). Another one to be replaced.. very well. He rummages through the box again and picks out the first one that he happens across, not particularly picky about it. After some fiddling, the swap has been made and he can go back to casting the line again.
. 20 . (added) Atrum: 10 (0/5) Wet Season: 20
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Post by Jack on Aug 15, 2021 19:16:21 GMT -6
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 4:55:51 GMT -6
The shadow doesn't follow immediately, letting the humanish pass before slinking off towards the bucket instead. As he settles on the boulder and casts out the line, the shadow instead creeps up the side of the bucket's shaded side, until the green eyes are able to peer over the lip at the contents within. It likely thinks itself very clever and stealthy, and normally certainly would be (But the man's eyes can peer past regular darkness, and this shadow is made from different stuff. Like a clear crystal dropped in clear water, that suddenly tints black in someone's view).
He does denote the curiosity, more for general knowledge than any specific drive or instinct derived from sustenance (For he rather doubts this thing feeds on the physical). A good quality to possess for someone who supposedly has the intelligence to match, even if that intelligence is otherwise still largely in need of verification. But the more he observes it, the better the chances he can learn of small little details such as this.
. 21 . Atrum: 10 (1/5) Wet Season: 21
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 5:00:55 GMT -6
And small details, as few enough people know, can make a vast amount of difference. If you know how something works, you understand why (And if you understand why, you can figure out how to influence it). The observation doesn't get much further than that, because something else equally dark-coloured catches his attention - Something comes drifting down the surface of the stream, detached and delicate. A black bloom of sorts, seeming to be carried by the current. He stands and sets the fishing rod aside, instead hopping down the stones towards the water's edge. With the tail to balance, he reaches out and manages to brush his fingers against it, pulling it a little closer, until finally being able to get a more secure hold.
A delicate one, for the flower seems delicate as well, but enough to pick it up out of the water. Sitting back on the rocks, he places it into his palm, looking it over. So what strange thing is this now?
. 22 . Atrum: 10 (2/5) Wet Season: 22
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 5:07:18 GMT -6
The general appearance does seem similar to a few flower used to illustrate books and manuscripts, although he never really bothered learning the exact name. Low-tide? Low-thus? Whatever, close enough. He lifts it up to inspect the underside and can see a few small fronds or roots, fresh and alive. So, this thing is still living, even if isn't exactly attached to any soil. Perhaps settling it into a more static pool of water might allow it to settle and continue growing.
Standing, the man carries the flower over towards the bucket, making the shadow relocate to another hiding spot once more. There's not much he can do for it now, so he just places it on top of the water, to float around, while the fish below give it a passing interest before resuming their lazy loops. Not quite all of the plants seem edible to them, it seems, which is fortunate for him - He only has the one bucket and it can hardly contain everything that wishes to eat each other now can it.
. 23 . Atrum: 10 (3/5) Wet Season: 23
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 5:10:59 GMT -6
With that sorted, he returns to the boulder and the rod left secured between two larger stones there, while the shadow slinks after silently. It passes the lines hanging from the branch and there's a pause, as green eyes suddenly rise up from the grass and peer into the water, noticing something. The shadow slinks closer, even dipping into the water (For breathing wasn't really something it needed to worry about) and there's a slow tilt of the head, as it catches sight of a small bit of commotion below the waves.
Oh, well that's interesting..
Above the water, the man's just finished reeling in the line only to find the hook missing. There's a confused frown as he inspects the line, seeing no bite or sign of struggle.. but there is a clear distinction on where the end had been cut by a pair of scissors, and the issue on hand dawns on him - The knot had given out. Either pulled upon by fish or merely loosening on its own.
. 24 . Atrum: 10 (4/5) Wet Season: 24
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 5:15:25 GMT -6
There's a frustrated groan as he rolls the eyes and stands to return to the boxes. Ropes, twines and threads he can manage, but this.. synthetic form of fishing line is too smooth and too rigid. Of course, that being the idea, to add tensile strength to it and allow it to better blend in against the water, but still. Small hoops and knots needed that much extra work to ensure they didn't unravel, as a result.
He's about the pass the pond when he suddenly stops, staring down. In the grass, two bright green eyes stare back, intently. They don't scurry off, even though there's still a distinct look of passing fear in them, but a small black tendril extends up and points towards the pool, before the shadow fades back into the grass (And likely runs off). The man's head tilts slowly, taking in this new type of development.. The shadow.. trying to guide him?
Deciding to entertain the idea, despite the oddness of it, he does turn and glance into the pool next to him, where some bait had been left some time earlier.
. 25 . Atrum: 11 (0/5) Wet Season: 25
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Post by Nadia on Aug 19, 2021 7:18:39 GMT -6
Your little living shadow is quite right. There's a squirt bobbing along in the pond, on the approach towards your bait - its tentacles wave as it grows closer. Is it... excited?
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Post by Èdan on Aug 19, 2021 7:39:24 GMT -6
Peering into the water, the courier crouches down, trying to make sense of what the shadow saw. At first, he doesn't really see anything - There's the dead fish, the bait left behind in the shallow pool on the off chance it would attract something to the still waters away from the rushing stream. And there's the flickering surface of the water.. some sand, stones, stray pieces of kelp..
There's a pause as the eyes narrow in on something. Hold up..
Where the shadow could pretend to be clear crystal in clear water within pools of shadow (To those of normal sight, anyway), something in the pond seems to be doing that a bit more literally. He can't make out the shape, but there's a wobbling of outlines and small currents centred around a specific point in water.. A point that does cast a shadow itself, faint as it is. Oh, something is being quite sneaky.. There's an amused smirk, perhaps impressed by the deceptive trick, as he slowly puts down the fishing rod behind him, while the tail reaches for the handle of the fishing net a little further outside of arm's reach.
. 26 . Atrum: 11 (1/5) Wet Season: 26
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Post by Nadia on Aug 19, 2021 8:02:42 GMT -6
The squirt doesn't have a clue what's going on. All it knows is that it wants that fish - it's very determined, wiggling its way closer and closer. One tentacle manages to wrap around it, and then another. It's in a good spot...
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